Exercising apparatus



March 27, 1934- WRQBLEY 1,952,830

EXERCISING APPARATUS 2 Filed July 27, 1933 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 March 27, 1934. M. B. WROBLEY EXERCISING APPARATUS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 File July 27 Patented Mar. 27, 1934 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE EXERCISING APPARATUS Matthew B. Wrobley, Denver, 0010. Application July 2'7, 1933, Serial No. 682,407

9 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in apparatus for exercising the muscles of the human body, and more particularly the abdominal, side and back muscles. Exercise is essential to good health and many diseases can be avoided and others cured by the use of proper exercises. Constipation is a very prevalent disease and is due, in great measure, to the relaxed .condition of the abdominal muscles.

I have discovered that the abdominal wall muscles can be greatly strengthened and their original healthy tone restored by subjecting the body to the action of forces which tend to bend .it at the waist, at the same time rotating the forces about the body, and resisting their action with the body. By the use of such rotating bending forces every muscle that takes a part in holding the body straight will be tensed with the result that they will soon regain their lost tone and thereby strengthen the abdominal walls and restore the intestines to their normal function.

' I have found that the exercise can bestbe carried out by the use of the simple apparatus that forms the subject of this invention, and. which, briefly described, consists of a bar, such as a steel tube or a solid bar, whose upper end is provided with a handle, and whose lower, end is adapted to engage a guiding device, which guides it in a closed path about a center line of the body of the exerciser. An endless member, such as a belt or ring, adapted to surround and to engage the body of the exerciser at the hips, is movably connected with the bar near the handle, and

., the bar is curved or bent in order to clear the body of the exerciser, all as will hereinafter be described.

Having thus briefly described the invention it will now be described in detail, and for this purpose reference will now be had to the accompanying drawings, in which the preferred forms of the apparatus have been illustrated, and in which,

Fig. 1 is a view showing the apparatus in operative position,

Fig. 2 is a section taken on line 22, Fig. 1,

Fig. 3 is a diagram of the forces in the several parts of the apparatus when in use,

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 1, and shows a modified form of construction, and

Fig. 5 is a section taken on line 5-5, Fig. 4.

In Figs. 1 and 2, numeral 1 represents the floor line and placed on the floor is a pedestal having two sections of pipe 2, that are bent at right angles, and are welded to a plate 3, to which is secured a pin 4, to whose upper end is fastened a plate 5. The exerciser stands in vertical posiadjustable marker 6, against which the exerciser may place his heels. Pivotally attached to pin 4 is a member 7 that is provided with a lug or ear 8 on one side, to which the lug 9 is attached by a pin 10. The bar 11 is bent at the point 12, and at the point 13 it is bent at right angles and the part marked 14 has the lug 9 attached to its end, and it is therefore evident that bar 11 can be swung outwardly and inwardly with respect to the vertical center line of the body and that it can also be turned about the axis of pin 4. The handle consists of a pipe 15 that is telescopically mounted on the upper end of bar 11, and which is attached to the bar by a pin 16, engaging one of the holes 17 on the bar 11. The upper end of pipe 16 is provided with a hand grip 18 of rubber or bakelite. Secured to the pipe 15 is a member 19 that has an opening through which pipe 15 can pass and two lugs 20 that are perforated for the reception of a clamping bolt 21. A pin 22 extends upwardly from the member 19 and carries a roller 23. An endless member 24 encircles the roller 23 and also the body of the exerciser. Member 24 is preferably a belt but may be a padded metal ring. In the drawings the endless member has beenshown as provided with snap fasteners 25 by means of which its size can be adjusted, but this is merely an optional construction. Since, in this arrangement, the upper end of roller 23 is free, the belt, or endless member 24 can be quickly applied to or removed from the roller.

When the apparatus shown in Fig. 1, is to be used the exerciser places the pedestal on the floor and stands thereon, as shown in the drawings, the endless member is placed over the body at or about the height of the hips of the exerciser and over the roller 23, after which the exerciser engages the handle in the manner shown. The force exerted on the handle is indicated in Fig. 3, by line ao, and this is resisted by a component of force in the endless member, which is subjected to a tension represented by the line 17-0; the other component resisting the force a-o is represented by line c-o and this is a compression force in the bar 11. In addition to the force 0-0 the bar is also subjected to a slight bending force, which has not been shown.

In Figs. 4 and 5, a slightly different embodiment of the apparatus is shown and in this embodiment the pedestal shown in Fig. 1, has been replaced by a guiding means supported on the floor, and has been illustrated as a shallow pan having an inwardly convex Wall 26 whose upper edge is formed by a vertical flange 2'7. The corner between the upper edge of the wall and the lower edge of the flange forms a track which serves as a guide for the lower end of the bar 11a. The

height of the wall 26 is immaterial and it may be omitted altogether, in which case the flange 27 forms a closed ring resting on the floor. The bar 11a corresponds in function to bar 11 in Fig. 1, but differs therefrom in construction. The lower end of the bar 110. is preferably provided with an anti-friction roller 29, that is so shaped that it will fit the track on the guide. Secured to the upper end of the bar is a handle 28, which is preferably hollow, as shown, and is telescopically connected with the upper end of the bar and held inplace thereon by a pin 30, or some equivalent means. In the embodiment illustrated, the handle is provided, near its lower end, with two spaced lugs or cars 31 between which the U- shaped member 32 is attached by means of a pivot pin 33. Member 32 has two parallel spaced arms 34 between which the flanged roller 35 is mounted and to which it is rotatably connected by means of a pivot pin 36. Theendless member 24, encircles the roller and also the body of the exerciser. The upper end of the bar 1111 is straight from the top to the point marked 12, and from there to the lower end it is bent or curved so as to clear the body of the exerciser, somewhat as shown in Fig. 5.

The operation of the apparatus shown in Figs. 4 and 5, is almost identical with that illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2, but instead of being guided by the member '7 and the'pin 4, the bar has a roller 29 engaging the track 27. The application of the forces are substantially the same as described in connection with the apparatus shown in Fig. 1.

It is evident that when the body is subjected to three forces, applied as shown, the force or tension in the endless member tends to bend the body at the waist while its action is resisted at the shoulders and at the feet, and wherefore the muscles on the left side will be-tensioned to resist the bending action. The exerciser, while exerting a force on the handle, moves the handle about the body and he transfers the handle from one hand to the other, as the handle is passed directly in front or in back of his body. By rotating the bending forces entirely around the body all of the muscles will be tensed successively. It

is evident that many other muscles, besides those of the abdomen and back will be exercised by the use of this device but these are the ones that are primarily concerned with proper intestinal functioning and are the ones that will be considered here.

In the above description the method of using the device has been described as involving a continuousrotary movement about the body, in the same direction, but it is obvious that instead of a continuous rotary movement it is possible to move the bar back and forth so as to oscillate it about the body through any angle desired.

The guiding means shown is illustrative only and any equivalent means can be substituted as it is only necessary to guide the lower end of the bar substantially about a vertical center line of the exercisers body, referred to the path of the hand grip.

Having described my invention what I claim as new is:

1. A device for exercising the abdominal, side and back muscles of the human body while the exerciser stands in upright position, comprising a support on which the exerciser stands, an endless member adapted to encircle the body approximately at the hips, a compression bar, means near the upper end of the bar for making a movable connection with the endless member, a handle at the upper end of the bar and means for guiding the lower end of the bar to constrain it to travel in a closed path about a vertical center line of the body.

2. A device for exercising the abdomina, side and back muscles of the human body while the exerciser stands in upright position, comprising a support on which the exerciser stands, an endless member adapted to encircle the body approximately at the hips, a compression bar, means near the upper end of the bar for making a movable connection with the endless member, a handle at the upper end of the bar and means for guiding the lower end of the bar to constrain it to travel in a closed path about a vertical center line of the body, the bar being bent to clear the body of the exerciser.

3. A device for exercising the abdominal, side and back muscles of the human body while the exerciser stands in upright position, comprising a support on which the exerciser stands, an endless member adapted to encircle the body approximately at the hips, a compression bar, means near the upper end of the bar for making a movable connection with the endless member, a handle adjustably connected with the upper end of the bar, and means for guiding the lower end or" the bar to constrain it to move in a closed path about a vertical center line of the body.

i. A device for exercising the abdominal, side and back muscles of the human body, while the exerciser stands in upright position, comprising a support on which the exerciser stands, an endless member adapted to encircle the body approximately at the hips, a substantially rigid bar, a roller pivotally attached to the bar near its upper end, a hand grip portion near the place where the roller is attached, the endless member encircling the roller which forms a movable con nection between it and the bar, the bar being bent to clear the body of the exerciser, and means for guiding the lower end of the bar to constrain it to move in a closed path about the vertical center line of the exercisers body.

5. A device for exercising the abdominal, side and back muscles of the human body, while the exerciser stands in upright position, comprising a support on which the exerciser stands, an endless member adapted to encircle the body approximately at the hips, a substantially rigid bar, a roller pivotally attached to the bar near its upper end, a hand grip portion near the place where the roller is attached, the endless member encircling the roller which forms a movable connection between it and the bar, the bar being bent to clear the body of the exerciser, means for guiding the lower end of the bar to constrain it to move in a closed path about the vertical center line of the exercisers body, and an anti-friction roller attached to the lower end of the bar.

6. A device in accordance with claim 4 in which the hand grip is adjustably connected with the bar.

'7. A device for exercising the muscles of the body while the exerciser stands in upright position, comprising in combination, an endless member for encircling the body at the hips, a bar having its upper end provided with a hand grip, a roller pivotally connected with the bar near the hand grip, the endless member, when in operative position, encircling the roller, a plate on which the exerciser stands, a pivot pin extending downwardly from the plate and serving as a support therefor, a member pivotally attached to the pivot pin, the lower end of the bar extending at an angle to the main portion thereof and is attached to the member that is attached to the pivot pin, whereby the bar can be turned about the center of the pivot pin, while exerting a tension in the endless member.

8. A device for exercising the abdominal, side and back muscles of the human body while the exerciser stands in upright position, comprising a support on which the exerciser stands, a compression bar, a handle at the upper end thereof, tensional means, adapted to engage the body approximately at the hips, for the guiding of the upper end of the bar in a path disposed about the body, and means for supporting the lower end of the bar and for guiding it in correspondence with the upper end of the bar.

9. A device for exercising the abdominal, side and back muscles of the human body while the exerciser stands in upright position, comprising a support on which the exerciser stands, an endless member adapted to encircle the body approximately at the hips, a compression bar, means near the upper end of the bar for making a movable connection with the endless member, a handle at the upper end of the bar and means for guiding the lower end of the bar to constrain it to travel in a path about a vertical center line of the body.

. MATTHEW B. WROBLEY. 

